Setting Up Escalation Rules

Adding an Escalation Rule

1. Go to Escalation in the dashboard sidebar
2. Click Add Rule
3. Configure the rule:

Name and description

A descriptive name for the rule (e.g., "Emergency calls", "Frustrated caller", "Explicit transfer request"), plus an optional description for your own notes.

Conditions

Add one or more conditions. If you add several, all must be true for the rule to fire.

• Caller requests human: the caller asks for a person
• Caller sentiment: the caller sounds Frustrated, Angry, or Threatening (you pick the level)
• Call duration: the call runs past a time limit (e.g., 5 minutes without resolution)
• Repeated failures: the agent fails to help after N attempts
• Keyword detected: specific words or phrases (e.g., "lawyer", "complaint", "manager")
• Custom condition: describe the situation in plain language

There's also a shortcut for routing by group name: pick a call group and the rule fires when a caller asks for that group by name ("Can I talk to sales?").

Destination

Select who receives the call:

• A call group
• A team member
• A phone number (any outside line)

A transfer rule with no destination can't connect anyone, so the editor warns you if it's empty. If the destination isn't available when the rule fires, the agent takes a message instead.

Take a message instead

By default a rule transfers the call. If you'd rather your team follow up than be interrupted, open Advanced: take a message instead of transferring and switch it on. The agent collects the caller's details and what they need, and the message goes to your call notification recipients.

What the agent says

Write the handoff line in a natural tone:

• "Let me connect you with someone who can help with that directly."
• "I want to make sure you get expert help on this. One moment."

There's also a field for what the agent should not say, for example promising a specific callback time.

Priority and Order

Rules are evaluated in order. If multiple rules could trigger, the first match wins. Drag rules to reorder them. Put your most important rules (emergencies, explicit requests) at the top.

Enabling and Disabling

Use the switch on a rule's row to enable or disable it without deleting it. Disabled rules are ignored during calls. Any rule can be deleted from the dashboard, including the defaults created for you; if you delete every rule, the defaults come back.

Location-Specific Rules

When creating or editing a rule, a Location dropdown lets you assign it to a specific location or keep it global. You can change a rule's location at any time by editing it. Location rules are evaluated in addition to (not instead of) org-level rules.

The sidebar location selector filters what you see — select a location to see only that location's rules plus global rules.

Testing

After creating rules, make test calls to verify they trigger correctly. Open the call in Calls: the call detail shows the escalation reason, including which rule fired. Remember that transfers only happen during business hours; test transfer rules while you're open.

You Can Also Ask Allison

You can ask Allison to add escalation rules, update their settings, enable or disable them, or delete them. For example: "Add an escalation rule that transfers when the caller sounds frustrated" or "Disable the keyword escalation rule." For complex multi-condition rules or fine-tuning condition thresholds, use the dashboard.